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Study confirms innate ability of ticks to adapt to changing climatic conditions

Carnivores in the Iberian Peninsula, such as the Iberian lynx, are under an increasingly serious threat: ticks that can adapt to changing climatic conditions and that can even survive in extremely arid environments. A study headed by Spanish researchers confirms the innate ability of ticks to adapt according to climate.

30 Mar 2012

Infection with dengue virus turns on feeding-related genes in mosquitoes

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have, for the first time, shown that infection with dengue virus turns on mosquito genes that makes them hungrier and better feeders, and therefore possibly more likely to spread the disease to humans.

30 Mar 2012

Birth weight may identify future metabolic risks in girls

Heavier female babies are more likely to develop diabetes and related metabolic risks when they grow up compared with their male counterparts, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

30 Mar 2012

Paying doctors and hospitals for better outcomes may not pay off

Medicare's largest effort to pay bonuses to hospitals that hit key performance measures -- or dock them if they miss -- did not lead to fewer deaths for heart attacks and heart bypass surgery, a new study finds. The analysis could lead to a reexamination of the idea of paying providers based on quality metrics, rather than on volume, which is key to the health law.

30 Mar 2012

Drexel experts available to comment on new CDC study on autism prevalence

Experts from Drexel University are available to comment on a new study on autism prevalence released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

30 Mar 2012

New CDC data shows increase in prevalence of autism in U.S. children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that the prevalence of children in the United States with autism has increased. The newly-released statistics suggest one in 88 children have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, up from one in 110 released in 2009.

30 Mar 2012

Autism Speaks calls for the development of national action plan

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today called on the nation's elected and appointed leaders to immediately develop a new, coordinated strategy to take on a national public health emergency - the autism epidemic - in the wake of a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) finding that autism is now diagnosed in a staggering 1 in every 88 American children.

30 Mar 2012

Asian Canadian LGB youth more likely to face harassment

Asian Canadian teenagers who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual are 30 times more likely to face harassment than their heterosexual peers - a factor that is linked to higher rates of alcohol or drug use, according to University of British Columbia research.

30 Mar 2012

HPV-related head and neck cancer on the rise among middle-aged white men

Research led by Lauren Cole, a public health graduate student, and Dr. Edward Peters, Associate Professor of Public Health and Director of the Epidemiology Program at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, reports that the incidence of head and neck cancer has risen at sites associated with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection, with the greatest increase among middle-aged white men.

30 Mar 2012

Study: 1 in 88 U.S. children have an autism spectrum disorder

A new study estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder.

30 Mar 2012

Avian and swine flu viruses hijack genetic regulators during human infection

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have identified a number of tiny but powerful "genetic regulators" that are hijacked by avian and swine flu viruses during human infection.

29 Mar 2012

Regulatory fight could turn ugly as Congress seeks to overhaul cosmetics regulations

In response to public pressure from recent scandals including mercury in face cream, lead in lipstick and formaldehyde in hair products, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee yesterday convened the first Congressional hearing in 30 years on the safety of cosmetics and personal care products.

29 Mar 2012

Obstacles standing in the way of cancer prevention

More than half of all cancer is preventable, and society has the knowledge to act on this information today, according to Washington University public health researchers at the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis.

29 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Why doctors find it hard to tell the truth; The fruits of biomedical research; Cheney's 'taxpayer-subsidized' benefits

Last month, an article in the journal Health Affairs made headlines in the news media - "Physicians Are Not Always Open or Honest with Patients." A vast majority of the nearly 2,000 doctors surveyed agreed that physicians should be fully open and honest in all their communications with patients. ... I suspect that the dishonesty that is being uncovered in a study such as this - and frankly, I was amazed that the number of less-than-truthful instances was so low - reveals more about the diagnosis of being human than anything else. ... I couldn't bring myself to tell this young mother that she was going to die."

29 Mar 2012

Study sheds light on the impact that zero-calorie beverages may have on health

Are diet sodas good or bad for you? The jury is still out, but a new study sheds light on the impact that zero-calorie beverages may have on health, especially in the context of a person's overall dietary habits.

29 Mar 2012

Losing weight and increasing physical activity reduces decline in mobility in obese adults with type 2 diabetes

Weight loss and increased physical fitness nearly halved the decline in mobility in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes, according to four-year results of the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial funded by the National Institutes of Health.

29 Mar 2012

EU-funded project to help control appetite, combat obesity

The University of Liverpool is leading a £6milllion European project to develop and test new food products with satiating qualities to help control appetite, manage weight and combat obesity.

29 Mar 2012

Discontinuance of statin therapy increases CVD mortality risk in RA patients

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who discontinue use of statin therapy are at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes.

29 Mar 2012

Aspirin lowers risk for cancers: Meta analysis

Aspirin has multiple benefits. It is a painkiller whose origins can be traced to Hippocrates, reduces the chances of developing or dying from cancer earlier than previously thought and also prevents tumors from spreading, studies show.

28 Mar 2012

Local air pollution may explain neighborhood differences in rates of childhood asthma

Where a child lives can greatly affect his or her risk for asthma. According to a new study by scientists at Columbia University, neighborhood differences in rates of childhood asthma may be explained by varying levels of air pollution from trucks and residential heating oil. Results appear online in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.

28 Mar 2012